‘Heart sock’ developed by U of A prof could replace defibrillators

University of Alberta Prof. Hyun-Joong Chung is on an international team of scientists developing a stretchy, silicone “heart sock” that could eventually replace pacemakers.
/ Supplied

Prof. Hyun-Joong Chung, centre, with students Hassan Riaz, left, and Xinda Li stand in front of their lab at the University of Alberta on Friday, March 28, 2014. The three of them will be helping with the production of bio-implantable heart devices that will be produced in the room behind them.Greg Southam
/ Edmonton Journal

Prof. Hyun-Joong Chung, centre, with students Hassan Riaz, left, and Xinda Li stand in front of their lab at the University of Alberta on Friday, March 28, 2014. The three of them will be helping with the production of bio-implantable heart devices that will be produced in the room behind them.Greg Southam
/ Edmonton Journal

EDMONTON - A stretchy, sensor-filled membrane that fits over the heart like a second skin has the potential to revolutionize the way patients’ health problems are monitored and treated, says a University of Alberta assistant professor who helped develop the groundbreaking design.

The balloon-like, silicone “heart sock” can expand and contract with a beating heart, and contains dozens of sensors that collect data on heart health, said Hyun-Joong Chung, assistant professor of chemical and materials engineering at the University of Alberta.

“It can definitely give better insight into how our body is behaving,” Chung said. “I am very excited about the multi-disciplinary possibilities.”

Sensors embedded in the membrane detect comprehensive information about the heart’s temperature, beating, electrical activity and pH levels, which are linked to cardiac ischemia, or reduced blood and oxygen flow to the heart.

The device has the potential for many medical uses, said Chung, who worked on the research team lead by Prof. John Rogers of the University of Illinois and Prof. Igor Efimov at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo.

The sensors could be used to gently stimulate the heart with electric pulses that are much more targeted than the shocks delivered by today’s defibrillators.

The heart sock could also be set up to deliver drugs to a patient’s heart when sensors detect danger signs, Chung said.

“It has the potential to be used as a pacemaker,” Chung added.

Before that happens, researchers will have to improve the sensors so they can transmit data wirelessly and be implanted for long periods of time. Scientists also have to figure out how to power the device, possibly wirelessly, with tiny batteries inside the membrane or by harvesting the body’s own energy, Chung said.

The technology can be applied in all kinds of ways, Chung said. For example, it could be inserted to take measurements inside the heart using a balloon catheter, a thin tube guided into the heart through a blood vessel.

“If we apply the same technology and twist the concept a little bit in terms of device design, then we can also apply it inside of the heart ... or design lots of different forms of sensors to suit any part of the body,” Chung said.

The most immediate use will likely be for heart transplants, Chung said. Currently, surgeons examine a heart visually to see if the heart is healthy enough for transplant, but doctors could use the heart sock to collect detailed, real-time data right up until the transplant surgery, he said.

Chung became involved in the heart sock research while doing post-doctoral work at the University of Illinois in 2011. A team of researchers from the university, as well as from Washington University, was working to develop a membrane that could be installed on the heart to monitor how the heart was working.

“What we found is that it is extremely difficult to install it on top of the heart because it can slip easily or it can float away, so we decided to wear it on top of the heart. That’s how we came up with the sock design,” Chung said.

The membrane is so thin — between one eighth of a millimetre to a third of a millimetre thick — that it doesn’t interfere with the heart’s beating, Chung said.

The team has tested the heart sock on beating a rabbit’s heart.

The membrane is made from silicone, a material commonly used in medicine such for nose and breast implants. However, Chung and his team hope to build the device from a more bio-compatible material that could dissolve in the body after a certain period of time.

“So we can design our sensor to perform, say, for one year and ... instead of having another open-heart surgery (to remove it), we want it to dissolve,” he said. “So that is the direction we want to go.”

The team’s findings were recently published in two journals: Nature Communications and Advanced Healthcare Materials.

Almost Done!

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.